【推荐1】France is experiencing an unusually mild winter, which has led to low snowfall in ski areas across the country.

One affected ski area is Le Mourtis, in the Pyrenees mountains of southern France. The lack of snow has forced the holiday village to temporarily close its ski runs—at the height of the winter season. Local restaurants and hotels are seeing fewer visitors. People who do come to the area are seeking to do other things besides skiing. Warmer temperatures have made hiking one of the most popular activities. Recent daytime temperatures at Le Mourtis have reached 10 degrees Celsius. Some hikers even removed winter clothing while making their way across mountain areas containing very little snow.

“Skiing? No one today can guarantee it,” said hotel operator Gillaizeau. He has been making money by renting out two-wheeled motorcycles to help visitors in the area have fun. The scooters can be ridden down grassy mountains. They come with equipment made for riding on snow, but Gillaizeau has attached bicycle wheels instead. His ski rental equipment remains untouched. He says he has had to reduce the hours of some workers and expects business losses during the season to drop as much as 15 percent.

Many people in the area believe the latest winter is more than just a bad year. The last time France experienced such a mild December and January was in 1900, French weather officials say. Christelle Robert is an official with Meteo-France, the country’s national weather service. She told Reuters that mild winters and less snow seem to be a clear sign of global warming.

Scientists have predicted a continued rise in world temperatures. People connected to the area’s ski industry are considering a future with much less snow. If such weather continues, ski resorts around 1,600 meters above sea level will be so warm that they will not even be able to use artificial snow because it will melt.

【推荐1】There is a cute animal living in the rainforest of Central and South America. Hanging out in the trees is its regular routine. It eats plenty of leaves every day to maintain its body temperature, keeping its organs working. It has three toes and walks slowest. The giant panda is second slowest, and two-toed sloths (树懒) come in third. People are curious about why they walk slowest.

Three-toed sloths rely on leaves merely. They have evolved finely tuned strategies for coping with this restricted diet. Firstly, they get as much energy from their food as possible. Secondly, they have a multi-chamber stomach that takes up a third of their body. Thirdly, they can spend five to seven days, or even weeks, processing a meal.

The other distinguished feature of three-toed sloth is that they use as little energy as possible. They spend most of their time eating, resting or sleeping. They get down from the treetops once a week for a bathroom break. When sloths do move, it is not very fast. It would take a sloth about five minutes to cross an average neighborhood street.

This unhurried approach to life means that sloths don’t need very much muscle. In fact, they have about 30% less muscle mass than other animals of their size. They also use less energy to keep themselves warm because their body temperature can change by about five degrees Celsius, less than a cold-blooded reptile, but more than most mammals. These physical and behavioral adaptations minimize the sloth’s metabolic rate (新陈代谢率). Three-toed sloths have the slowest metabolism of any mammal.

Moving slowly has allowed sloths to grow in their treetQp habitat. But it also made the sloths themselves a great habitat for other organisms, including algae (藻类), which provides a little extra camouflage (保护色) and maybe even a snack.

【推荐2】Four Best Rock Drummers (鼓手) of All Time

Ginger Baker

Ginger Baker is a legendary drummer who was best known for his work with the band Cream. He was born in England in 1939, and he first gained fame in the 1960s for his innovative style and powerful technique. Baker was a master of jazz, rock, and African rhythms, and he was one of the first drummers to use double bass (低音) drums.

Phil Collins

Phil Collins rose to fame as the drummer for the rock band Genesis, but he soon became known as a solo artist in his own right.

One of Collins’ most symbolic moments is during the middle of the song In the Air Tonight. Collins plays a symbolic drum fill that even non-drummers collectively know how to play almost by instinct (本能). The drum fill was so impressive that it has been used in countless commercials and TV shows.

Keith Moon

Keith Moon was one of the most influential drummers of his generation. As a member of The Who, he helped pioneer a new drumming style characterized by its power and energy.

Moon was known for his aggressive playing style and willingness to take risks. For example, he often incorporated long drum fills into his playing. In addition, he was not afraid to experiment with new techniques.

Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr is best known as the drummer for the Beatles. But Ringo’s life didn’t start out on such an attractive note. He was born in Liverpool. England, in 1940. Ringo’s father left when he was three, and his mother soon died of cancer. Ringo was sent to live with his aunt, who was so poor that she often couldn’t afford to feed him. Yet, despite these difficult beginnings. Ringo persevered and went on to have a remarkable career.